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Should I buy an NSX?

i can never sell the s2000! Too good of a car to let go of, I would regret that everyday until I got another one...
 
He's going to a community college 10 minutes from home. Obviously wasting money on a car is more important than an education.....

Come on Bob. I think between the two of us, we've probably spent more on camera gear than the tuition for one year of community college.
 
Having contributed a couple of posts to and read all of the posts to this thread, I think it's safe to conclude that this thread could be more accurately renamed "I'm 18 years old, going to buy an NSX, and willing to tell you why I'm right and anyone who disagrees with me is wrong". I honestly think that it doesn't matter what any of us think, the originator of this thread has made up his mind, end of story. Ap1carson: good luck!
 
I'm sorry if I came off a little harsh...I just don't want to see you get burned by maintenance costs! If you can truly afford it, then buy one. I did it backwards...bought an NSX a few years ago and added the S2000 last fall. They complement each other nicely.
 
Hey man no hard feelings here, I'm open to all opinions. If you think the title to the thread should be longer than a book title I'm all for it. Lol just messing with ya, but on a more serious note how does the s2000 compare to the nsx in your opinion? Even though they're not even comparable cars really...
 
Bob & DocL what cars do you two drive and what cameras are you guys shooting with?

We both shoot with Canon professional dSLR cameras.

I'm currently on my 73rd car. I have two young kids my car priorities have changed. Right now my stable is probably comprised of the cheapest cars I've ever owned.
 
I haven't owned my S2000 very long and don't drive either car hard, so I'm probably not the guy to ask as to how they compare. I think that S2000 (mine's an AP1) is a "rawer" car, probably more fun to push to it's absolute limit, but I personally like driving the NSX more, particularly on road trips...it's quieter, more comfortable, and has more torque. It's a car more fitting a driver who like me who is well into middle age! But mine's also a coupe, so it's nice to put the top down on the S2000, particularly on a nice day.
In summary, the S2000 is the car for local drives, for the twisty roads, to toss around. The NSX is the road car, the "Gran Turismo", the better of the two cars, but they're both winners :).
 
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People, he's making a financial decision. Not a life or death decision. Rather it be risky, it's not as risky as you folks are making it out to be. Is it a smart decision? Probably not. But it's not like he's going down the drug/alcohol path that most do at the university age - now that's a real waste of money.

1. If he encounters a serious financial situation and needs to unload the car, he can, perhaps at a loss if serious. If something breaks that he can't afford to fix, so it will sit in his parents garage for a while.
2. He's not buying a *new* car. That's by far one of the worst financial decisions in life.
3. He's not buying a house or paying excessive rent, which can lock you down to a specific location, not to mention unexpected maintenance cost on a house can easily become astronomical. Sure houses/property can be a good investment if you play it right. But right now, it's nearly impossible to even get into a house without 20% down AND good credit. When that time comes after college, he may be able to sell the NSX for a down payment on a house and have some established credit if everything plays out right. Remember, he's not buying a car as an investment, he wants to build credit. Building credit with an item you want and enjoy is better than building credit with something you loathe. Having only a history of revolving credit sometimes isn't enough anymore to secure a decent interest rate on a home loan.
4. I feel you don't need life insurance unless you have a ton of debt and a family that can't take care of themselves. The trick is marry a wife that has good skills and good employment:) The days women want to be just "house wives" are over. Women are equal to men in the workforce and at home.

I don't even want to get into college discussions, because my advice is probably misleading, and very non-traditional. Personally I see 4+ years of university a colossal waste of money UNLESS it's a useful degree (engineering/medical/etc..). Trade/vocational/two year degrees are more useful than a 4 year liberal arts degree. But above all, if you remain a tradesman (and not shooting for electrical engineering, etc), experience is golden, which you are already building. That's amazing, keep it up. You will start out ahead of everyone else in your field versus someone same age with 4+ years of college and no experience. You'll probably end up being their boss actually.

Education in America requires a major overhaul. I've interviewed thousands of applicants with 4+ year degrees, and it's staggering how little they know the field of their study (in this case, CIS), or basic common sense for that matter. Applicants with experience always shoot to the top of the pile to be interviewed. Everyone seems to have a degree these days (except a Masters or PhD), so bachelor's are not as coveted as in previous times.

Never take focus off your goals. Stay away from drugs, excessive drinking, and ignore what others think about you whether good or bad (too much good can turn you into a narcissist). Never stop learning new things and skills, and you'll do just fine.
 
So here is my two cents.
Both the NSX and the S2k are amazing experiences but are very different.
Having owned both, worked on both, and built both here are my thoughts.
Everyday Fun factor: the s2k wins here because it's a car you can ring out and really push on local roads. Nothing is a fun in the sub-80 mph range. The car feels like a go kart and being able to hit the gears as soon as you do really delivers a rewarding and thrilling experience. Is it going to win out on 1/4 mile times? Absolutely not but you can not discount the fun factor. The NSX is a whole different kind of thrill but you don't get to experience its true potential really unless your on a track. You can't comprehend how amazing it is unless your doing speeds that are not remotely acceptable on local streets. It's an experience all it's own. It's thrilling but not doable every day on every shift.

Upgrading and maintained : both cars have a ton of access to great communities and aftermarket resources. However the s2 is vastly cheaper to upgrade AND so much easier to work on.

Long term valuation : a presetine NSX will increase in value and become an actual financial asset. While that's great it's weirdly prohibitive to an owner who values its long term growth investment because your more inclined to not drive it and not modify it.

In the end - you can't go wrong either way just be mindful of what your getting yourself into. :)
 
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It's your choice either way. But the wrong nsx can land you in the poor house very, very quickly....
Just some words of advice. I'm not going to give you a 4 paragraph outlining of why. You do what you want. Just be weary of what your buying, a 90's era supercar. This is not a Supra or a rx-7...
A good thing to do is browse Acura parts lists on the web and see just how quickly you can spend a few grand on plastic parts.
 
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^ if that's suppose to be an insult nothing wrong with going to community college for 2 years and then transferring to old dominion university for another 2 years and walking out of school completely debt free with a mechanical engineering degree lol

X2, you're major is more important than anything. My aunt went to community college ($10k) to become a nurse. Mean awhile my good childhood friend went to a private university ($50k) and majored in psychology with a minor in Spanish.

My aunt makes $65k a year while my friend taught as a teacher ($35k), later laid off and now works at Sears making $8 an hour.
 
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I would say NO. About 2 years ago I was in the position to buy and NSX. I opted not to and saved up some more and bought a house.

Now I have an Asset that is going up in value every year, 75% of my Mortgage is covered by my two friends that live with me, O and now I own an NSX as well.

Buy a house or an apartment rent it out and live at home. If you buy right you can sell it after college and make much more money, Probably be able to buy an NSX in cash and have money left over for a down payment on another property.

Im only 27 so Im not to much older then you. Best of luck regardless.
 
^ if that's suppose to be an insult nothing wrong with going to community college for 2 years and then transferring to old dominion university for another 2 years and walking out of school completely debt free with a mechanical engineering degree lol

This might be the smartest thing you have said. I am an ODU alum with a Mechanical Engineering degree. Feel free to PM as i would love to lend any advice on the school / Area and degree.

Btw you DO NOT want to have an NSX in norfolk.
 
I bought my first NSX when I was finishing up with university at 21 y/o. Also had an S2000, but i sold it and got the NSX. I'd recommend saving up and paying cash for it because you never know when you'll have to stop working to concentrate on school full time. Last thing you'd want is to be stuck with a payment and have to work instead of studying or doing other college kid things. Just my .02. You'll enjoy NSX ownership more when the car doesn't own you
 
No way....Debt is not your friend at 18 years old and no college degree. Enjoy the S2000 and get educated my friend.After that buy two!!
 
I'll weigh in a bit dude.

I see alot of how I was at 18 when I read your posts. You are a car enthusiast, mechanically inclined, smart, driven, and have the luxury of supportive parents who sound like great role models. I was the exact same way. I had wanted an NSX since I was a kid. My first car was an 88 honda prelude because it was the closest thing I could get that I could afford. I moved out at 18, lived on my own, worked 2 jobs during the day, 7 days a week, and went to classes at night. I lived paycheck to paycheck through most of college because I stretched to buy my first townhouse at 20 years old.

Every morning for the years following, I commuted to work the same route in an 89 prelude that I bought from a junkyard for $800. That route included passing an audio/alarm shop where the owner would occasionally have the shop door open revealing his black NSX. Just getting to see it was the best part of my commute. I sometimes pondered why i'm starving myself to own property but I never pulled the trigger on something that would have given me so much enjoyment.

At the age of 29, I was a college graduate, owned properties, and had a stable career in the computer/electronics industry. I was thinking about buying another investment property with a pile of cash I had been saving. I decided to make one of the best financial decisions of my life. I drove to that old audio/alarm shop where I had gazed at the NSX years before. To my amazement it was still there, the owner along with it.

As I type this I am now 31 years old, and enjoying a relaxing lunch at my dream job. It's a beautiful Friday today, and I'm looking out the window at the very same NSX I drove by every day over a decade ago. I can't wait to drive it home from work today.

What's the moral of this story? I COULD have owned an NSX 10 years ago, but it would have had a significant impact on my ability to be successful in college, career growth, and investments. I can afford to do every modification I would ever want to do. I can afford every repair and preventative maintenance item that needs to be done, even thought I still do them myself. I can afford the time to take a weekend getaway with my girlfriend in the NSX. I would not have been able to say these things if I had bought this car at your age, and it's truly these things that make it a dream come true to own this car.
 
What's the moral of this story? I COULD have owned an NSX 10 years ago, but it would have had a significant impact on my ability to be successful in college, career growth, and investments. I can afford to do every modification I would ever want to do. I can afford every repair and preventative maintenance item that needs to be done, even thought I still do them myself. I can afford the time to take a weekend getaway with my girlfriend in the NSX. I would not have been able to say these things if I had bought this car at your age, and it's truly these things that make it a dream come true to own this car.

Well worded and very, very true. OP - Lude's advice is spot on. My 0.02 - like Lude_2_NSX, I got my degree, bought property early, saved and invested. My wife and I payed off the house a couple years ago and are completely debt free. We're by no means rich, but I'm in a position to have a car like the NSX that requires a bit more care & feeding than the average vehicle. Buying a NSX is only the first step in the ownership experience & the purchase price is simply table stakes. It's no fun to own a vehicle that owns you.

Unlike many of us here at your age, you already have a fun car to play with. Concentrate on school & enjoy your AP1. I owned an AP1 & it's ~10000x more fun that what I drove during my first 3 years of my undergrad.
 
I would say no.... What if you meet some hot chick in your new nsx and she gets knocked up? where will the baby ride??? just kidding... would never happen because the NSX is woman repellant
 
I would say no.... What if you meet some hot chick in your new nsx and she gets knocked up? where will the baby ride??? just kidding... would never happen because the NSX is woman repellant

.and guys can't get pregnant..............yet...............:tongue:
 
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